Mangaluru, Sept 18: Mangaluru witnessed an unusual sight on Thursday morning as Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues travelled through the city in an open-top bus procession ahead of the Karnataka Cabinet meeting at Praja Soudha in Padil.

The Chief Minister and the ministers had arrived in Mangaluru on Wednesday for the Cabinet meeting, which was being held outside Bengaluru as part of an initiative to bring regional issues to the State government’s attention.

The open-top bus carrying the ministers proceeded towards Praja Soudha, drawing public attention along the route. The unusual mode of arrival added a ceremonial character to the Cabinet’s visit to the coastal city.

Cabinet meetings are ordinarily held in Bengaluru. The decision to hold the meeting in Mangaluru followed a proposal by Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister U T Khader, who had urged the Chief Minister to take the meeting to the coastal district to enable the government to focus on regional concerns.

After Shivakumar agreed to the proposal and the date was finalised, the district administration began preparations to host the State Cabinet and facilitate the meeting.

The city underwent extensive preparations in the days leading up to the event. Roads along the route to Praja Soudha were cleaned, while the government building was given a facelift ahead of the ministers’ arrival.

The police also introduced traffic restrictions in and around the venue. Motorists were advised to avoid roads expected to experience congestion during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

The Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru is expected to provide an opportunity for the State government to deliberate on issues concerning Dakshina Kannada and the wider coastal region, apart from taking up matters on the regular Cabinet agenda.